Staff / Nathan Self
Surrounded by Thai decorations, from left, Roane Loudermilk of the Atlanta International School host council, Special Event Coordinator Maggie Dozier and Myrna Antar of the AIS host council look forward to the school’s fundraiser, Passport to Thailand.

Each year, the Atlanta International School hosts a spring benefit with a cultural theme from different countries.

Saturday, parents, faculty and students will be celebrating the Thai culture at Passport to Thailand.

“Every year we try to choose a different country to represent our global setting,” said Roane Loudermilk, who is on the event’s host council and has a daughter in the fifth grade. “We have never done Thailand before. We also felt like it could offer a really nice cuisine as well.”

This year’s event will not change drastically from previous years, but there will be heavier cuisine from Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft and Dennis Dean Catering served at the seated dinner. There will be open bars, as well as a specialty Thai cocktail during the first hour of the event.

Loudermilk said guests will be greeted that evening by staff and children dressed in cultural Thai clothing. The event is black-tie optional but people are encouraged to dress in cultural clothing if they desire.

“Atlanta International School always embraces people to dress according to the theme. At least a quarter of the crowd will be dressed culturally,” Loudermilk said. Décor will be bright and vibrant with the elephant as the main icon, Loudermilk said, and will include imagery from Thailand as well. The fundraising goal this year is between $250,000 and $400,000.

“Historically, we have gone up and up,” Loudermilk said.

All of the funds will go back to the school, primarily to financial aid and scholarships. Myrna Antar, another host council member and mother of two, said it is her first year at the school, and she looks at the event as an opportunity to meet other families. She said the event begins with the silent auction, followed by the seated dinner and live auction, as well as a performance by the school’s theatre department.

“They will come through the crowd and be part of the evening,” Loudermilk said. “Ladies are flying in to do some Thai dancing.”

Additionally, she said there will be a live band called Cashmere.

“With us being such a diverse population with over 90 nationalities, it’s so exciting to get together and just celebrate different cultures,” Loudermilk said of the school. “It’s a great community-building experience. You don’t get this at any other school. We embrace differences.”

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